Cataract Surgery

I had a humorous email from a woman in our church who recently had surgery on her eyes to remove cataracts.  She said once she was done she noticed her husband was not as thin, had grey hair and moved a lot slower than when she last remembered with better eye sight !  After a chuckle I thought how we all at times see things with “cataract vision”.    Our perspective on things isn’t quite what it should be because of the impairments of fear, guilt, lack of discernment, bitterness, apathy, weariness or  some other spiritual problem clouding our proper vision !

For instance, what do you see when a problem occurs in your life?  Most of us tend to initially focus on the problem (which is understandable) then we start to either look at it from His point of view or we take a lower road and fixate on it and worry.   What do you see when the Lord allows a person to come into your life who is far from spiritual?  An irritant or a potential good sibling in the Lord? A mission field?  What about a blessing that enters your life? Do we see it as “It’s about time, Lord” or “God is good and so gracious !”  How about when things are especially trying? “Why, God are you being so hard on me?  When will this ever end and what are You doing to me?” rather than “Thank you for what You are teaching me and how you love me enough to better me through this.”     Yes, those are all easy to say but sometimes hard to really see – it takes the insight of God, a heavenly vision , if you will.  But it’s possible and probable the more our center of attention is our Lord rather than something or someone else.

The writer of Hebrews wrote this terrific admonition in the start of the twelfth chapter, “. . .looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross. . .” (vs.2).   We are to set our gaze on Him as He did going to Calvary.  How hard that must’ve truly been, even for the sinless Son of God, and yet the key was His perspective. He saw joy beyond the pain and suffering, He rightly anticipated there was something much more precious than the agony ahead, there was something to be gained far far more !  Joy would come in time, in spite of all the sorrow and anguish of that crucifixion day.  And the same is true for the child of God, thanks to Him !!!  So, whatever you are going through, yes there is light at the end of your tunnel.    And by faith in Him, your task is to see it so and walk in light of this reality. It is not a skewed or pie in the sky viewpoint, it is how it is with the Lord !  Let the “cataracts” come off by the scalpel of His promises and see how things truly are and rejoice !!  Things will be just fine !!!!!